Recently, content distribution systems have been broadly utilized in which a display apparatus for displaying content data such as pictures is installed in a place where the display apparatus can easily attract public attention, such as in a station, in a store, in a shopping center, in a department store or in an open space in a town. Consequently, people nowadays are surrounded by such displays.
The content distributed by such content distribution systems is typically oriented towards advertisement pictures. Thus, the content distribution systems are utilized by advertisers who expect an efficient advertisement effect to be obtained by means other than home TV or radios, by narrowing the distribution area or the distribution target. Railroad companies may, in some cases, utilize display apparatuses installed in stations or trains to provide information about areas along the railroad lines, thereby encouraging passengers to utilize their railroads. In towns, movie theaters may provide information for movie premieres.
Such a content distribution system is generally configured by a content distribution apparatus in a distribution center, which has a server function of storing content data to be distributed, and multiple content display apparatuses for receiving the content data via a network or the like and displaying the received content data.
In this case, one of the possible configurations is that the distribution center performs overall management of a content display schedule, and the content display apparatuses are configured to sequentially display the distributed content data in the received order. Another alternative is that the content distribution apparatus in the distribution center only stores content, and the content display apparatuses create and manage a display schedule themselves.
In the content distribution system as described above, it is common that content is displayed in a unilateral way, namely viewers who see the content are in a passive situation. Therefore, the content which is broadcasted from the same content distribution apparatus and displayed on the content display apparatuses is often not adapted to regional characteristics or difference between targeted viewers. Consequently, the advertisement effects obtained by content distribution in such a content distribution system are definitely not optimized.
Furthermore, when content is stored on the content display apparatus side, each content display apparatus is required to be provided with equipment for storage, which generates a cost problem.
Furthermore, from a viewer's perspective, if the viewer wants to see content he or she has just seen again, he or she has to wait for it to be displayed again, because the content display apparatus displays content data in accordance with a schedule set in advance. Thus, in some cases, a viewer may feel inconvenience, and sufficient advertisement effect may not be obtained.